The present invention relates to a method of sector probe driving and an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, and particularly to a method of sector probe driving and an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus which are capable of driving a sector probe by using the transmitter/receiver for a convex probe and linear probe.
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus using a convex probe and linear probe is equipped with a transmitter/receiver having a 0th through 31st channels and a high voltage switch including a 0th through 127th switches, for example, with each n-th channel, where n takes 0 through 31, being connected in parallel fashion to the n-th switch, the (n+32)th switch, . . . , and the (n+96)th switch. The 0th through 127th switches are connected to the 0th through 127th vibration elements, respectively, of the convex probe and linear probe. Only the 0th through 31 st switches are turned on to drive the 0th through 31st vibration elements, and next, only the 1st through 32nd switches are turned on to drive the 1st through 32nd vibration elements, and next, only the 2nd through 33rd switches are turned on to drive the 2nd through 33rd vibration elements, and so on, so that 32 vibration elements are driven at a time in turn, thereby implementing the linear scanning or convex scanning. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus using a sector probe is equipped with a transmitter/receiver having a 0th through 63rd channels, for example, with the 0th through 63rd channels being connected to the 0th through 63rd vibration elements, respectively, of the sector probe. The 0th through 63rd channels drive the 0th through 63rd vibration elements by being timed with different delay times, thereby implementing the sector scanning. (Refer to non-patent publication 1, for example.)
[Non-patent publication 1]
“Medical Ultrasound Apparatus Handbook”, FIG. 3.59 on p. 94, FIG. 3.64 on p. 97, and FIG. 3.76 on p. 102, edited by Electronic Industries Association of Japan, published by Corona Corp. for the first revision on Jan. 20, 1997.
The transmitter/receiver for a convex probe and linear probe has a smaller number of channels than the number of vibration elements of the convex probe and linear probe, as mentioned previously. Whereas, the transmitter/receiver for a sector probe has channels larger than or equal in number to the vibration elements of the sector probe. Due to this difference, the conventional ultrasound diagnostic apparatus has a problem of incapacity for driving a sector probe by using the transmitter/receiver for a convex probe and linear probe.
Specifically, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus intended for the diagnosis of internal medicine and superficial tissue has a transmitter/receiver of 32 channels for example and uses a convex probe and linear probe of 128 vibration elements for example. Whereas, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus intended for the diagnosis of circulatory organs has a transmitter/receiver of 64 channels for example and uses a sector probe of 64 vibration elements for example. It has not been possible for the former ultrasound diagnostic apparatus to use the sector probe of the latter apparatus.